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Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions (SADPP) Gikui Gichuhi said the request was informed by the circumstances surrounding the offence and the level of responsibility of each of the three men convicted in the case.
Sharon’s father told the court that his anger towards Obado had eased after the former governor sent relatives and brothers to his home seeking reconciliation following the July 2026 judgment
Through their lawyer, Sharon's family said it would not oppose a non-custodial or lenient sentence if Obado fulfilled material promises he had previously made, including providing a house and a vehicle.
Sharon’s parents, through their lawyer, also urged the court to impose a non-custodial sentence, saying their relationship with Obado had remained cordial even after the death of their daughter.
Obado’s family has asked the court to take into account his age, health and the responsibility he has carried towards relatives and other people who depend on him.
Obado, his former personal assistant and a former Migori County clerk were convicted after Lady Justice Cecilia Githua ruled on July 23 that the prosecution had proved its case against the three beyond reasonable doubt.
XYZ, a journalist investigating Sharon's relationship with Obado, testified that Oyamo organised the meeting at Graca Hotel before asking him and Sharon to relocate so that he could pass on a message from the former governor.
Evidence presented during the trial showed that on the day Sharon was killed, Oyamo invited her and a protected witness, identified only as XYZ, to Graca Hotel. He allegedly promised to give them money so they would stop speaking publicly about Sharon's relationship with Obado and her pregnancy.
Taking to her X account on Thursday, Karua noted that the conclusion of the nearly eight-year murder trial reaffirmed the urgent need for criminal justice agencies to prioritise cases involving violence against women, noting that while the prosecution showed determination, justice should not take so long to be delivered
Long before he entered politics, Obado had built his reputation in education before moving into Kenya's sugar industry, where he emerged as a key advocate for farmers and millers.
FIDA-Kenya said the judgement represented an important step towards accountability for a crime that attracted national attention and underscored the importance of ensuring justice through the courts.
In a statement issued on Thursday following the High Court's judgement, Ingonga said the convictions marked an important step in ensuring perpetrators of grave offences are held accountable under the law.
Delivering the judgment at the Milimani High Court on Thursday, Justice Cecilia Githua held that the three acted with a common intention, with each playing a distinct role in planning, executing and concealing the murder of the 26-year-old, who was about seven months pregnant at the time of her death.
Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, former Migori County communications director Michael Oyamo and former county clerk Caspal Obiero are facing charges over the deaths of Sharon and her unborn baby. They have all denied the charges.
Sharon Otieno was abducted on September 3, 2018. Her body, together with that of her unborn child, was discovered a day later in a thicket near Kodera Forest in Homa Bay County.
During submissions filed in court, Obado insisted that criminal convictions must be based on solid facts and not on assumptions, rumours or unverified claims.
Obado’s former personal assistant Michael Oyamo told Judge Cecilia Githua that Sharon had received a series of hostile messages, which were retrieved from her tablet by a DCI officer.
While defending himself before High Court Judge Cecilia Githua, Oyamo said DNA tests conducted by police had confirmed that he was not the father of Sharon’s unborn child.
Obado stated that his Director of Communication, Nicholas Anyur, approached him seeking direction on how to manage the situation surrounding his affair with Sharon.